25 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Business Blog
Do you write a blog for your business and keep posting to it regularly? It’s a great way to talk about your industry, provide information about your business, and to entertain. It’s also a great way to build a following for your business. Yet many business owners ask how to make people aware of their blog and to attract followers.
25 Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Business Blog
- Tell everyone you have a blog
- Post your blog name and link in your email signature
- Include your blog link on your business cards, stationery and all forms
- Add your blog link to your bio
- Post snippets of your blog posts on your social media with links to the blog
- Add your blog link to your social media profiles
- Be active on your social media accounts and social networking sites like StumbleUpon and Mixx
Good Writing is Not a Natural Gift | Writing Quotes
“People who think well, write well…Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well.”
David Ogilvy, founder of Ogilvy & Mather
How to Interview With the Media
As a journalist, I’ve interviewed thousands of people, and they all have one thing in common. They’re all afraid to talk to the media. At least to start.
When I do an interview, I always try to make it fun. I start with the easy stuff, like what’s your full name and title/how you would like me to refer to you in the article. This gets them talking and over the initial fear. Then we chat, with me leading them through the interview with questions that would normally come up in any conversation where someone is interested in either you or what you do. Once we start rolling, my subjects usually settle down into conversational mode.
But then…sometimes I hit them with the hard questions at the end. I think those are the questions that they think should scare them. But they shouldn’t be scared. These are questions that make them think…like, “What is the philosophy you always wanted to share,” or “Tell me in one word how you would describe your business.” Often, I get my best insights into people by asking these types of questions.
If you are interviewed by a journalist, there are a few things to keep in mind. These will help you prepare for the interview and keep you from saying something you shouldn’t.
How To Interview With the Media
Rule #1. EVERYTHING you say is ON THE RECORD.
I can’t tell you how many times people have felt so comfortable with me that they say, “I’ll tell you this, but it’s off the record.” If I weren’t so kind, this is the type of thing that could really get you or your business in trouble. Remember that you are talking to the media; a person who is looking for a juicy story. There is no “off the record.” Continue reading →
Check Out Our Travel Blog: Mid-Atlantic Traveler
Since I like to travel and I like to write, I thought I’d combine my two loves into a travel blog called Mid-Atlantic Traveler covering the area I know best: the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. I’ll be posting about some of my own adventures as well as interesting finds, hidden gems and plenty of things to do through our region…and beyond.
Recently we wrote about the new Frank Lloyd Wright property where you can stay overnight, the Maine Avenue Fish Market in DC, the International Water Tasting Competition (where I am a judge), the Green Bank Science Center and telescope in WV, York County PA Factory Tours and how to explore Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, to name a few. And there are many more stories to come. Continue reading →
Do You Have a Good Story? Share it With the Media.
As a journalist, I hear fabulous stories from people every single day. Whether they are my clients or people I meet in the grocery store, I realize that everybody has a story and I am all ears to hear it.
So many business people either miss or disregard the opportunity to share their unique story with the world. And hence, they miss the many public relations opportunities the media can provide.
Why You Should Get Your Story in the Media
It Gets People Talking
If a journalist finds your story interesting, and a publisher thinks it is interesting enough to write about, then thousands of other people will too. I published a feature story about “What really goes on during spring break,” and was standing behind two moms in the grocery line one day when I overheard them talking about what they learned from the story. “I’m not sure I’ll let my daughter go without a chaperone now,” I heard one say. Think of all the people you can impact from your own story!
It Establishes You as the Expert
Types of Blog Posts
We all know that we should be blogging in our business. Blog posts not only keep relevant content on our website for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes, they give people a way to learn more about what you do and what you can do for them. There are a number of types of blog posts, as we’ll discuss here.
Types of Blog Posts:
- Story
Tell readers a story about your product, your company, a client case study, or an industry happening. People love to read about other people’s experiences. - List
Offer an easy-to-read bulleted list of items that can help someone overcome an obstacle or organize their lives, for example. - How To
Take the reader step by step through a process to an outcome. Highlight how to best use and benefit from one of your products or services.
Clarity in Business Writing | Writing Quotes
“Clarity in business writing is not a luxury.”
Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group
Up Your Company’s Professionalism with an Online Media Kit
There is nothing more exciting–or better for your business–than media coverage. Landing a feature story in print, or being quoted as an expert source in an online article can exponentially boost your footprint in your market and set you apart from your competitors.
As a member of the media, I am always looking for good stories to write about. But most companies forget this side of marketing. Or they don’t know how to achieve it. Especially if they are a smaller company.
So far this year I’ve published more than 20 feature stories about local businesses and business people that appeared in newspapers and high-end glossy magazines. Not only did these people receive a beautiful story, they were able to use their media appearance in their marketing and social media programs to garner even more coverage and credibility. Some printed out copies of their articles and used it as a giveaway at appearances and trade shows. Others framed their article and mounted it prominently in their place of business. A few made podcasts or videos of their radio or TV appearance and posted it on their own media channels. Even more referred to their third-party coverage in sales presentations to help close the deal. Continue reading →
Startling Statistics About Social Media for Business
As social media continues to grow, some of the things we thought we knew about it have changed. Here are some of the latest statistics for 2018.
GENERAL
• 95% of adults aged 18-34 online are likely to follow a brand via social networking.
• 71% with a good experience with a brand will recommend it to others.
• Visual content gets 40% more views than other types of content.
• 50 million small businesses use Facebook Pages to connect with customers. Four million of these pay for Facebook advertising.
• 68% of marketers have posted video content on Facebook.
• The best time to post is 3PM on Wednesdays, 12-1PM on weekends, and 1-4PM on Thursdays and Fridays. Continue reading →
Why a Well-Done Intake Interview is Vitally Important to Writing Copy
When working with a new client, we always perform what we call an “Intake Interview.” This interview is valuable in a number of ways.
Get the Facts
First, it provides us with the facts we need about a company’s products, services, customer service policies, history, background, target customer audience and goals.
Get the Tone
Second, it gives us the opportunity to “hear” the company owner. We listen not just for the facts but for how the owner represents the business. Does he or she speak using technical language? Are the sentences long or short? Is there humor? This helps us to write in “their voice,” not our own, and is especially helpful when writing a speech the interviewee will be delivering. Most of the time our client remarks, “It sounds just like me!”
Get the Customer
Listening also helps us to uncover problems the owner may be having in the business, or issues their customers might be having. These can and should be addressed when creating good copy. Continue reading →
All the Buzz 